
The tops of mountains are among the unfinished parts of the globe, whither it is a slight insult to the gods to climb and pry into their secrets, and try their effect on humanity. Only daring and insolent men, perchance, go there. Simple races, as savages, do not climb mountains – their tops are sacred and mysterious tracts never visited by them. Pomola is always angry with those who climb to the summit of Ktaadn.Okay, so maybe he said the mountain does care, expressing insult and anger. The stark contrast between Maine’s alpine wilderness and the green pastures of Walden Pond frightened Thoreau – it was not necessarily an insulted, angry god that frightened him, but instead just the simple indifference of wild nature. Katahdin (Phonetically spelled “Ktaadn” by Thoreau) is a Native American word, said to mean “greatest mountain.” It’s the highest point in the state of Maine, at 5,267 feet above sea level. The hike to the top is the single largest climb on the entire Appalachian Trail, with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain to reach its summit. Pomola is the name of a god who was said to live among its peaks. I climbed Katahdin and finished the Appalachian Trail when I was 22 years old, on October 8, 2002. It was easily one of the best days of my life, and I’ll never forget the date. The hike only takes a single day, but Katahdin is most rewardingly climbed by approaching it the long way, by walking over 2,000 miles from Georgia.



















Wow, you’re near the end of this journal! If you’ve enjoyed your time here, please consider leaving a donation for my work. There’s enough words here to fill a book… but considering the abundance of photos, I think this online format best portrays the experience I’m trying to convey. Thank you so much, and cheers!
Thank you for the journal Jamie. Very moving. And your rock from Springer is still there. I saw it on Sep 13th, 2018. What a wonderful journey.